Mnangagwa fires back at relentless Chiwenga

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has fired retaliatory salvos at his deputy, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, in a bare-knuckle clash in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West Province, during the party’s ongoing 23rd Annual National People’s Conference.

Chinhoyi is important as it holds the memory of the Battle of Sinoia on 28 April 1966. That battle was one of the first major armed clashes of Zimbabwe’s liberation war. Seven guerrillas died there. Their sacrifice made Chinhoyi a sacred place for Zanu PF. So the party met there. Thousands of members filled the ground.

Chiwenga spoke first. That is presidium protocol. He did not flinch. He faced the crowd and issued a statement of courage. He called for a “brutally honest introspection.” He asked why the First Republic collapsed. He asked whether the constitutional changes reflect the people’s will. His words suggested the grassroots had been ignored.

The changes are Constitutional Amendment Act Number 3 which extends Mnangagwa’s rule to 2030. It removes the ordinary citizen’s right to vote for the President under Section 67. It also blocks Chiwenga’s path to succeed Mnangagwa. Chiwenga helped lead Operation Restore Legacy. That operation ended the First Republic and gave birth to the Second Republic. Now he feels sidelined.

The clash is part of a pattern which began in September 2025 when Chiwenga questioned why a corrupt cartel was not being arrested. Party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa accused him of trying to turn the presidium into a kangaroo court. Chiwenga did not back down. He maintained his stance against corruption.

Also in September 2025, Chiwenga presented a corruption dossier at a Politburo meeting in Harare. He named Wicknell Chivayo and other cronies. He called Chivayo unscrupulous and said his source of wealth could not be traced. Mnangagwa had described Chivayo as his personal friend and a philanthropist of repute.

Chiwenga later missed Chivayo’s funeral. Chivayo was a provincial hero and controversial business tycoon. Chiwenga then skipped the party’s fundraising dinner in Harare. After the dinner, Mnangagwa said some Politburo members did not pitch up. They are Politburo members, he said. Yet they stayed away. He did not name Chiwenga. He did not need to.

Before the last Politburo meeting, another meeting was aborted. Chiwenga had asked whether ordinary citizens had taken part in CAA3. That question stopped the meeting. It deepened the split.

At Chinhoyi, Chiwenga attacked his principal. He reminded Mnangagwa that his predecessor was removed to usher in a Second Republic. That republic was meant to serve the people. His words were direct.

Mnangagwa hit back. He did not name Chiwenga. He said individualism has no place in Zanu PF. He told Chiwenga not to run too fast and not to lag behind. He said:

“Gwara reMusangano wedu, nezvido zve ruzhinji ndizvo zvinotaura mafambiro edu tose. MuZANU PF, hakuna mazvake-mazvake. Famba nevamwe. Kwete kusara kumashure, kana kumhanya manhingi. Ngatifambei tose, step by step, brick by brick and stone upon stone, tichivaka Nyika yedu.” (We must toe the party line while serving our people. In Zanu PF there is no room for individualism. You do not have to remain behind or run fast ahead of everyone. Let us walk together, step by step).

The messages were clear that Mnangagwa wants discipline and Chiwenga wants change.

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